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Tymon. The fabled gladiator city in the river kingdoms, home of the bloodied arena champions, and of the famed smithy, 'Smine's Weaponworks'. Holgarin Smine's weapons are famous, but fortunately, it is less well-known that his shop doubles as a Pathfinder lodge.
The faint scent of smoldering beeswax lingers sweetly beneath the smell of burnt coal permeating the simply furnished common room. The modest decor of Tymon’s Pathfinder lodge allows it to masquerade as a boarding house above Smine’s Weaponworks, the most popular blacksmith shop in the city. Below, the cadence of hammer striking anvil rings clear as apprentices toil to meet the demands of gladiators, warriors, and adventurers alike. Heavy footfalls thump up the stairs, and the door opens to reveal a sturdy dwarf, clad in a thick leather apron and covered in soot— Venture-Captain Holgarin Smine.
His sentences are short and staccato like the sounds from the forges below. “Aha, good! Asked for some veterans, looks like I got’em, so I’ll be direct. We’ve found another piece of Sky Key—rather, found someone who knows where to look. Seems the favors we did in Mendev are paying off. Some dwarves there, they came forward with information—good, reliable information about a community in Chesed.” He pauses for a moment as if awaiting a reaction. “In Numeria,” he adds. “I’ve pieced together some histories. It all seems legitimate. Looks like the eldest prince from Jormurdun went that way. He settled down, had kids. Our contact, Ingret Jor, is his great-something- granddaughter. We’re betting she inherited more than just his good looks."
Smine takes a moment to start pulling a hunk of bread and a block of cheese from a cupboard as simple refreshments. “There’s a boat for you at the docks. Plan’s to get you up to Chesed, find Ingret Jor, and make friends. Friends talk. Of course, your friend gets to talk about the Sky Key. Chesed dwarves are pretty close, though. You’ll need to make sure you’re good friends, or at least be her friends’ friends. We dwarves like anyone who has dwarves’ best interests up here,” says tapping his head, “And here,” he says with a hand over his heart.
“Chesed’s a free city in name, but the Black Sovereign and the Technic League own it. Probably already watching Ingret. Learn what you can. When you know where the key is, go get it. Nice people got it? Play nice. Off in some ruin? Go be Pathfinders. Technic League’s got it? Well, make sure that doesn’t happen.”
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A armored human sits comfortably in the common room with a strong looking dog laying at his feet. The ranger scratch the dog's head as he listens to Smine, looking less happy at where they will be going "Technic league turf. Do we know for a fact that Ingret is not part of the league or the Sovereign? Also, what is the Black Sovereign?"
Ceobryrn tries to recall what else is known about Chesed
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Though the woman looks a typical example of a beauty from the frozen north, the pale blue tinge to her skin and a distinct look of 'otherness', about her tells of an unearthly heritage - she seems very glacial. Despite her well groomed and polished presentation, scars and bruises are still visible and her athletic build does nothing to hide her obvious calling as a martial practitioner.
Her armour is Hellknight Plate of blackened steel, highly decorated and ornate featuring dozens of tiny leering imps worked into the metal - closer inspection notes all of the Imps wings are razor sharp. Her jerkin bears the red and black of Cheliax, and her cloak secured by a brooch pin bearing the insignia of an infernal eye looking out of swirling portal. She holds a shining silver Wayfinder on a chain as she enters, and after a brief reading, tucks it back in her tunic.
Placing her helm on a nearby table she looks around and then at the Venture Captain, she radiates a very disciplined air "Good. I fought in Jormurdun when the gates fell and the Sky Key became tangible - I look forward to retrieving more of it. I am certain I can play nice, play Pathfinder, or... play Hellknight" she suggests in relation to the Technic League.
"I like the Dwarves, a logical and ordered group that have strong traditions and a good work ethic, no doubt we shall make friends with Ingret"
She then eases back and makes room for the others to speak.
Chessed - Know(Local)
Tech League Know(Local)
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Near the Venture-Captain stands a lithe young woman with otherworldly looks. Long blond hair flow on her shoulders, with golden locks. Her eyes seem to be made of gold as well. She's covered in an outlandish-looking mithral armor, and seems to prize her darkwood bow a lot. As each and every person enters the room, the aasimar studies them carefully, as if trying to discern something a simple glance wouldn't reveal.
"I'm Silver Crusader Ennoia, servant of the Empyreal Lady Falayna." she explains. "Well met!"
She listens to the briefing without uttering a word, now and then gazing through the window in sheer inability to remain focused.
"... so where are we headed?"
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A young half-elven woman stands with the others. She is a striking beauty and carries herself with confidence. As she meets the others, she introduces herself as Elindriel.
To the Venture-Captain, she nods when the briefing concludes, saying, "Rest assured, we will deal with things as the situation demands."
Hagnar smiles at Ceobryn and Elindriel - they had recently saved Absalom from certain destruction from an ancient threat. He then nods a greeting to the Hellknight and Ennoia. "Ladies - a pleasure to meet you! I am Hagnar Grimstone, an Investigator for the Pathfinders." Thinking on what he knows of Chesed and the Technic League, he shares what he recalls.
Chesed -
Tech League -
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"Svetlana, or if you spent time around the fighting pits of Magnimar then Hellion might be more familiar. I no longer fight in the pits, I serve the Society and the interests of the Hellknight Order of the Gate. I must say, if nothing else we must have one of the more charming bands of adventurers roaming around" she comments as she looks around.
“Ingret jor? Runs a tavern on the east shore slums. Earns her a lot of coin and respect. That sort of work also makes her too public to hide a secret well; she’s going to be tight-lipped. No love of strangers asking questions.”
“She won’t trust just anyone, but she’ll trust her friends. Find who they are, and be their friends. They can vouch for you.”
Chesed is the largest city in Numeria and the
dominant economic power in the region. As one of the last stops along the road to Mendev and the Worldwound, Chesed has seen an enormous influx of crusaders and other travelers that only serve to further fill the city’s coffers.
Though nominally under the rule of the Black Sovereign, Chesed enjoys certain administrative and governmental freedoms that other settlements in Numeria do not. The cost of this is steep, paid in gold to the Black Sovereign and the Technic League. Visitors to Chesed can expect to find the prices of goods and gear to be exorbitantly high as a result, a fact that doesn’t sit well with many. In fact, the longer the crusades continue, the more crusaders arrive on the front lines utterly destitute and too ill-equipped to fight.
Slavery is legal in Chesed, but slave trading is outlawed. Any slave not registered properly within one hour of entering Chesed is freed immediately, making Chesed a popular destination for runaway slaves and fugitives from the Technic League.
The Technic League is not well liked in the city of Chesed. Though the cabal maintains an office in the city and is rumored to have spies everywhere, its influence is opposed at every turn by a handful of charismatic community leaders.
The Techic League is a formerly secret society whose chief goal is the acquisition of personal and worldly power through magic and Numerian technology.
The League is incredibly protective of its secrets and power, and it ruthlessly hunts down those who leave Numeria with technology or knowledge thereof. League agents often murder anyone investigating their secrets in order to maintain the organization’s monopoly of the strange technology.
Smine also pulls aside a floorboard, and produces a book. With a hushes voice he says This is a copy of A thread of Silver. Very valuable text. Contains details of dozens of Numerian Crash sites. You can use it for this mission.
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The travel upriver only has a few minor hiccups in which pirates try to waylay the party, though most of them know to shy away from pathfinders after that display in the arena last year.
Mighty Chesed stands proudly where the headwaters of the Lake of Mists and Veils flows into the Sellen River. On the western bank, the spires of the Cathedral of the Lawgiver and those of the council offices tower above the opulent estates of merchant princes, and the clamor of the wealthy patrons of the luxury markets mingle with the cries of excitement coming from the arena. Across the river, the east bank sits in comparative squalor. Short mud-brick and wooden hovels crowd together in rundown blocks. Filth-lined streets occasionally give way to a morass of poorly drained night soil.
Yet everywhere one looks there are people—nobles and ruffians, humans and halflings, crusaders and merchants alike mingle in the markets. Shop stalls and vendors set up on every street corner give the illusion that the city is but a single, extended bazaar.
Chesed cannot afford to have a bridge that would block river traffic or facilitate a barbarian army’s attacking the western bank. Instead it uses the Leaguefold Bridge, a technological marvel that is submerged deep under the Sellen for much of the day but can be cranked up out of the water four times daily for a quarter hour to let traffic travel back and forth.
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Elindriel asks around and quickly roots out some information regarding the crossing. "There's a bridge - the Leaguefold Bridge - submerged beneath the river. They raise it out of the water four times a day to allow travel to and from the city, each time for a quarter of an hour. Our easiest choice, then, is to wait." She then proceeds to gather more information about the city.
Hagnar shares what he recalls about the city and the Technic League He enjoys looking at the wares in the merchant stalls, especially the unique potion and alchemical substances!
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"The Venture Captain told us to gain influence, said dwarves like anyone who has dwarves’ best interests up here,” she says tapping her head, “And here,” she says with a hand over her heart.
"I don't know many dwarves, but they like order, and they like Gold, and it sounds like we need to find out where that crosses"
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"Oh , I know a dwarf. She's a merchant who's called Metella Rauger. She has a habit of always being around, so who knows, maybe she'll be there this time too? "
-Posted with Wayfinder
Elindriel discovers that Ingret Jor runs a small tavern called the Silver Lining, on the east side of town. She also fins outs the basic layout of the wards in the city, and the fact that Vel Bindergorp is likely a friendly of Ingret. He runs an alchemy shop in the Chymist's ward, on the east side of town.
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"Seems like as good a place to start as any" the Hellknight remarks "We haven't all worked together before, so I'd just ask a moment of your time for some planning and to make sure we know what's what"
She pauses, to ensure everyone gets the same message...
"Talking will get us far, but sometimes talking isn't enough. Sometimes we need to let each other know that things aren't what they appear without tipping off anyone that we know anything is suspicious. If you become concerned for your safety or believe something is amiss, merely utter the phrase 'I sure could use some Chelish Ale' and we will know to start paying attention, if you utter that whilst looking at someone then I will take that as a sign to smash their jaw without hesitation. Understood?"
"I'm a Hellknight, it upsets some and delights others - I understand we all have our motivations, and mine is hunting down those who treat with Demonkind and seek to corrupt through diabolical means. I believe in law and order and the flourishing of society through benevolent laws that give people safety and freedom. I treat with Devils, my bloodline is as impure as your morning porridge, and my heart is often colder than the grave. If you feel troubled and wish my aid you need only ask, for a co-operative group is a healthy one"
Svetlana then outlines her range of potions and equipment "...Because if I fall, best I let you know where to find something to save me - or save yourselves"
Having spent much of the journey upriver flipping through A Thread of Silver (having recently seen some Numerian technology in action, she is keen to apply her mechanical knowledge in the area - and would particularly love to get her hands on one of those sweet magic pistol things), Lirianne hangs back a little while Elindrial makes her enquiries, knowing that she tends to be more intimidating than diplomatic.
She nods at Svetlana, "Never been much for code phrases and such; I prefer straight-shooting. Tell me where to put a bullet and it's done."
After the hellknight shows off her belongings, she replies, "Let's just make sure none of us do fall. Only lost someone once, and even that didn't last."
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She nods at Svetlana, "Never been much for code phrases and such; I prefer straight-shooting. Tell me where to put a bullet and it's done."
Svetlana laughs, clearly of a like mind "Yes, yes, but sometimes our bullets and blades come flying before the more studious are done talking, then they get upset"
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Ceobryrn grins "I too prefer direct action, but If the silvered tongued companions can talk the way through that's good too.".
The ranger pats his dog's head, as the group heads to the alchemist.
-Posted with Wayfinder
It takes a bit of waiting until the bridge comes up, but eventually it's time, and the aventurers head for the seedier side of the city.
The Chymist’s Ward distinguishes itself as an entirely separate district from the rest of Chesed. The alchemists, apothecaries, and tinkerers who go about their daily routine there would have others believe it’s because it takes a certain sophistication or genius to fit in with their community. In reality the Chymist’s Ward was likely established as a separate district to distance the majority of Chesed’s population from the strange spells and alarmingly frequent explosions.
Bindergorrp’s Fine Salves and Tonics is a single one of the many shops in this ward, and is operated by Vel Bindergorp, a quirky gnome shopkeep, who is just comparing the clarity of two different tinctures behind the counter of his shop. Welcome, to Bindergorp's Fine Salves and Tonics, gentlemen. I presume you're here about my latest curative: "Cure-All and then Some". It's a true marvel, a miracle of science, this. Be it a headache, a cold, a nasty spider bite or a whack one the head, there is truly nothing this here potion cannot cure. Rot, blood, break, ache, sob or throb, anything will vanish after you drink this here.
The gnome looks about to turn red and run out of breath, but he's probably going to claim his potion cures that too.
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Hearing the gnome's sales pitch, Elindriel decides that flattery may well be the way to befriend this friend of Ingret Jor's. "Greetings, sir. I would be most interested in hearing more about your amazing tonic. Of course, I have no ability in the alchemical arts, so I would surely defer to your greater knowledge in that area. And how much could we expect to pay for such a curative?"
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Svetlana gives a healthy laugh at the display, which is always unclear if a cause for relief of concern when it comes to Hellknights,
"Perhaps some of your more general products might be of use too, I always like to find reliable contacts for curatives and salves - I have a travelling merchant caravan, and whilst my agents don't normally come this far, being able to provide them good supplies is a boon... unless the prices have been unfairly set to 'rob the Mendevian crusaders' of course and then I am not so keen - but you seem like a nice fellow and honest merchant...and few seem inclined to rob Chelaxians openly"
Diplo Assist Elindriel
Hagnar decides it is in the best interest of the group if he does not openly indicate his alchemical skills so as to not intimidate the shopkeeper. He smiles approvingly at his comrades' approach to the gnome - especially in light of their conversations at the bridge. Personally, he preferred a smooth lager...the Chelish ales were a bit too hoppy for his tastes!
At fifty crowns, this curative is a bargain! the gnome says, you look healthy enough, but you never know what tomorrow brings.
The gnome is very friendly, and eager to sell his concoction.
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The Hellknight continues smiling "Is this where we haggle over the price?" she adjusts slightly, the smile drops slowly into an expression of business "That seems high, are you marking up a price expecting only a one-off sale, or are the taxes unjust? I have heard complaints that the Crusaders bound for Mendev are bleating after being fleeced like sheep - though I assume the mark ups are to cover payments to the Technic League and the Black Sovereign eh?" she still seems vaguely warm...
Now Hagnar decides to move forward, and he looks at Hellion as if asking for permission. When she gives a nod, or a blink, or any random action that could be construed as an affirmative, he turns to the gnome and slowly picks up the bottle of curative. He will examine it, looking at its consistency, color, thicness, smell, and even drops a little on his finger, tasting it.
The gnome calms down by quite a bit when the technic league is mentioned, eyeing Hellion suspiciously. When Hagnar turns the interest to the concoction again, he fires up again: Yes, best on this side of the Sellen River. I can't let you sample it, though. It's that powerful. You drink it, you buy it.
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Svetlana makes a point of counting out fifty pieces of gold, then slides the money over. "A show of good faith. We are good people, and we respect fairness, order, and honest trade... in Cheliax it is the followers of Abadar that talk of trade, but watch carefully the contracts written by an Asmodean lawyer" she chuckles "Now that I have told you how Cheliax works, perhaps you can tell us more about... around here" she gestures around to suggest the city.
Is this your first time in Chesed? the gnome asks, who else do you know around here?
He seems to be worried about something, and he's fishing for an answer
So, Silver, why are you all in Chesed? It's not exactly Sothis here the gnome asks, still a tad suspicious.
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SM
"Perhaps he feels uncomfortable with bargaining a deal with a Hellknight? I am no slaver, if that is your concern, and I am not here to impose the laws of Egorian here in Chessed. We come in peace, seeking to make friends and new bonds - all the better for Crusaders on their way to Mendev to get a legitimate deal. Perhaps we can be friends - but friendship must be built on honesty"
You are not with the Technic League are you?
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Elindriel smiles broadly, "No, we are most definitely not with the Technic League. We are, however, here on a mission for a wholly different group, and would like to request a small favor of you." She waits for an affirmative motion from the gnome, then continues, "We have heard that a friend of yours - Ingret Jor? - has something that the Technic League is interested in. Of course, if we have heard of it, it is only a matter of time before they do, and I would wager they will not ask for it...politely." Her expression turns grave briefly, adding weight to the words, but brightens quickly. "We ask only for an introduction, so that she might trust us, by your word, enough to listen to our proposal. Would you be willing to do this for us?"
Well, that can be arranged. Here, take this vial to her, he says, as he present a vial with an ochre liquid. Tell her it is to treat her gout.
Oh, and sir he say to Ceobryrn, the prescription you requested is ready.
Pretty much out of the blue, he puts forward a small, wrapped parcel. There's not a second of hesitation in him as he hands it to Ceobryrn. The tiny parcel is wrapped in waxed paper and sealed, and seems to contain a vial of something.
Now, are you sure you don't want to buy a sample of my healing concoction?
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Elindriel's face takes on a confused look at the gnome's actions, but then she smiles, "Of course, how could I not? However, there is one thing I was hoping to ask...but it is a bit sensitive. Could we perhaps go somewhere to discuss it? Or, at least, whisper between ourselves?"
Once she is alone with the gnome, she asks, "Are we being watched? Are you in danger?"
Hagnar also digs out the coins, or if there is not another vial to be purchased, offers to split the cost with Svetlana. He still intends on studying it...
Of course, where is my mind, the gnome says as he takes the coin and hands Svetlana the potion, then turns to Ceobryrn and says apply liberally.